Magellan Strait Historic Maps Cape Horn [Click on the maps below for high-resolution images] 1520: Pigafetta, Antonio, ca. 1480/91–ca. 1534. “Figure of the Pathagonian Strait. Of the region of Pathagonia. Ocean Sea. Of the Pacific Sea. And Other Capes.” From volume 2 of Magellan’s Voyage: A Narrative Account of the First Circumnavigation. Translated and edited by R. A. Skelton (New Haven, Conn., 1969). Shown with permission of the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library [Rare Books Division]. The first map of the Magellan Strait (in facsimile, oriented south-north) from the first documented European transit. [October 21, 1520] After going and setting course to the fifty-second degree toward the said Antarctic Pole, on the festival of the eleven thousand virgins, we found by miracle a strait which we called the Cape of the Eleven Thousand Virgins [the cape at the eastern end of the Strait of Magellan, at 52°20′ S].

Which strait is in length one hundred and ten leagues, which are four hundred and forty miles, and in width somewhat less than half a league. And it falls into another sea called the Pacific Sea. And it is surrounded by very great and high mountains covered with snow. (1:51) 1600: Quad, Matthias, 1557–1613. “Chica sive Patagonica et Australis Terra, MDC.” Copperplate map, with added color, 2 maps on 1 sheet, 22 × 28 cm. With contemporary manuscript annotation in bottom border. From Quad’s Geographisch Handtbuch. . . . Cologne, 1600. Reference: Martinic, Cartografía magallánica, VIII, 29. [Historic Maps Collection] Two maps, two different projections.

(This is a copy of Corneille Wytfliet’s map of 1597, which appeared in his Descriptionis Ptolemaicae augmentum,but adds a key to the lower map.) The top map, in a flat projection, shows the Strait of Magellan dividing Patagonia from Terra Australis, or the unknown southern land. (See the Terra Australis box in the Pacific Ocean section.) Victoria, Ferdinand Magellan’s ship, is sailing toward it. The bottom map shows Terra Australis, on a polar projection, with four peninsulas: one facing Patagonia (the subject of the upper map), one opposite Africa’s southern point, one below Java, and one confronting New Guinea. These peninsulas, and the mountains and rivers portrayed on the continent, are mere conjecture. The seven-point key on the left offers possible sources. The Solomon Islands, first discovered in 1568 by the Spanish explorer Alvaro de Mendaña de Neira (1542?–95) and then lost for two hundred years, figure prominently in this map’s ocean and are correctly located next to New Guinea.

(For more on the Solomon Islands, see Mendaña/Queirós in the Explorers section.) 1602: Bertius, Petrus, 1565–1629. “Fretum Magellanicum.” Copperplate map, with added color, 9 × 12 cm. From Bertius’s Tabularum geographicarum contractaru, Amsterdam, 1602. Reference: Martinic, Cartografía magallánica, VIII, 28. (See the map on the catalogue’s title page.) [Historic Maps Collection] Published before the Dutchmen Jacques Le Maire (1585–1616) and Willem Corneliszoon Schouten (d. 1625) rounded Cape Horn (1616), the map shows the Strait of Magellan separating Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, which still was considered to be part of a vast southern continent. The charm of the map lies in its depiction of Patagonian giants, the mythical race of large people first mentioned by Antonio Pigafetta in his chronicle of Ferdinand Magellan’s voyage.

(See the Patagonian Giants box in this section.) Bertius’s note next to the illustration states that the giants can reach ten feet in height and that they paint their bodies in various colors from diverse herbs. 1630: Gerritsz., Hessel, 1581?–1632. “Provincien van de Straet van Magallanes, ende vande Straet Le Maire.” Copperplate map, with added color, 27 × 35 cm. From Joannes de Laet’s Nieuwe wereldt . . . (Leiden, 1630). Acquired with funds provided by the Friends of the Princeton University Library. Reference: Martinic, Cartografía magallánica, VIII, 89. [Historic Maps Collection] Oriented with north to the right, the map explodes the long-held belief that Tierra del Fuego was attached to a southern continent.

Fifteen years after the circumnavigation of Le Maire and Schouten, Hessel Gerritszoon, the official mapmaker for the Dutch East India Company, is able to show the alternative route navigators can take to reach the Pacific from the Atlantic: around Cape Horn via the Strait of Le Maire. Note that Cape Horn here is still a cape, not an island. Although there is a tentative passage dotted in between San Sebastían Bay on the coast and the Magellan Strait—later proved fictitious—there is no suggestion yet of the Beagle Channel. That discovery would have to wait for two hundred years, until the HMS Beagle’s first voyage (1826–30) under English Captain Robert FitzRoy. (Naturalist Charles Darwin joined the ship on its second voyage, 1831–36.) 1635: Hondius, Jodocus, 1594/5–1629. “Freti Magellanici ac novi freti vulgo Le Maire exactissima delineatio.” Amsterdam, 1635. Copperplate map, with added color, 37 × 48 cm.

Reference: Martinic, Cartografía magallánica VIII, 97. [Historic Maps Collection] 1635: Blaeu, Willem Janszoon, 1571–1638. “Tabula Magellanica: Quâ Tierrae del Fuego, cum celeberrimis fretis a F. Magellano et I. Le Maire detectis novissima et accuratissima descriptio exhibetur.” Copperplate map, with added color, 39 × 51 cm. From Blaeu’s Toonneel des aerdriicx . . . (Amsterdam, 1635). Reference: Martinic, Cartografía magallánica VIII, 98. [Historic Maps Collection] Two of the most decorative maps of the Magellan Strait, from the golden age of Dutch cartography, the seventeenth century, from two of the most famous mapmaking families, Hondius and Blaeu. Though published in the same year, the maps differ substantially in the shape of Tierra del Fuego and the representation of Cape Horn, with Blaeu’s following outdated cartography.

They both share the same table, keyed to points in the strait, for example, a penguin island (a) and a new strait (R,S,T). However, Blaeu’s map continues the idea that Cape Horn is the promontory of a cape, whereas Hondius’s map correctly presents it as an island, following the 1624 confirmation by fellow countryman, Admiral Jacques L’Hermite (1582–1624). Moreover, Hondius shows how the northwestern peninsula of Tierra del Fuego breaks up into islands; here, also, the slanting of the territory begins to mirror the true shape of the land. Blaeu’s map is notable for its scale, which illustrates how, with Mercator’s projection, distances increase toward the poles. Several Fuegians, naked or scantily dressed, stand next to it, reflecting what explorers had reported with both shock and surprise—that the natives of the territory appear comfortable in frigid weather with nothing on. To his credit, Blaeu has deleted any reference to Patagonian giants, while Hondius’s map still bears a note claiming they exist. 1675: Wit, Frederik de.

“Tractus australior Americæ Meridionalis, a Rio de la Plata per Fretum Magellanicum ad Toraltum.” Copperplate map, with added color, 48 × 54 cm. From Wit’s Orbis maritimus ofte zee atlas. Amsterdam, 1675. Acquired with funds provided by the Friends of the Princeton University Library. Reference: Martinic, Cartografía magallánica VIII, 121. [Historic Maps Collection] One of the most elegant and detailed charts of southern South America produced in the seventeenth century. The map continues the now archaic, headland view of Cape Horn but offers a much fuller picture of the west coast of Chile, identifying many capes and ports. In the Atlantic, an unspecified Dutch naval battle takes place. The dramatic cartouche, however, is the tour de force of the map (see the map detail): a meeting between Dutch merchants and natives (Patagonians or Fuegians?) who are mining, refining, and molding what appears to be gold.

The onlooking animal with the spiral horns looks like a blackbuck antelope, native to India, or even an eland or oryx from Africa—but is out of place in South America. At the time of this map, the continent was a literal gold mine for Spain, and Dutch commercial interests were focused on the East Indies. Hence, this iconography seems incongruous: one would expect to see Spanish conquistadors and Peruvian Indians portraying their contemporary master/subject roles. Here, the scene suggests that a new deal or trade could be made. Perhaps the artist/cartographer is dramatizing the possible rather than the status quo in a work of Dutch propaganda. 1753: Bellin, Jacques Nicolas, 1703–1772. “Carte réduite du Détroit de Magellan: Dressée sur les journaux des navigateurs.” Copperplate map, with added color, 17 × 33 cm. Probably issued in l’abbé Prévost’s Histoire générale des voyages . . . (Paris, 1746–1770). Reference: Martinic, Cartografía magallánica VIII, 301.

[Historic Maps Collection] A number of islands in the strait, as well as the capes they confront on the mainland of Patagonia, find identities here. (Outside the central thoroughfare, however, not much is known—“Toute cette Partie est trés peu connue”—more than two hundred years after Magellan’s first transit.) As the center text explains, the map is based on information obtained firsthand by a monsieur “Labat,” who traveled with an expedition (1698–1701) commanded by the French naval captain Jacques Gouin de Beauchêne (1652–1730). The trip was funded by a Crown-backed, nobility-financed French company seeking to establish colonies and trade in countries of South America that were not already occupied by Europeans. Arriving in the Strait of Magellan on June 24, 1699, in the middle of a rather mild winter season, the men tentatively explored islands and shores, interacting with the natives who welcomed them. Finding the climate as temperate as France, Beauchêne felt that a settlement might be possible there.

The ships’ principal home during this time was Port Phelippeaux (named after the captain’s ship) on l’Isle de Louis le Grand(named for the French King Louis XIV, but known today as Isla Carlos III), shown as a on the map. Strong westerly winds prevented them from leaving the strait till January 21, 1700, after a seven-month sojourn. They traveled up the Spanish-controlled coast of Chile and Peru and visited the Galápagos Islands, but found little else to recommend to their sponsors. While returning to France, via Cape Horn, in 1701, they stumbled upon the most remote island in the Falklands archipelago, which they called Beauchene, its name today. 1787?: Bonne, Rigobert, 1727–1794. “Détroit de Magellan: Avec les plans des principaux ports, bayes, &c. de ce détroit.” Copperplate map, with added color, 23 × 34 cm. Probably from R. Bonne and N. Desmarest’s Atlas encyclopédique . . .

(Paris, 1787–1788). Reference: Martinic, Cartografía magallánica VIII, 346. [Historic Maps Collection] Benefiting from the voyages of Englishmen John Byron (1723–1786), Samuel Wallis (1728–1795), and Philip Carteret (d. 1796), this French chart offers an updated view of the passage through the strait—from C. des Vierges on the Atlantic side to C. Victoire on the Pacific. (For more on Wallis and Carteret, see the Explorers section.) Sixteen insets within the upper and lower margins of the map provide detailed plans of ports, harbors, and bays along the route, including soundings, points of reference, and anchorages. 1787: Schrämbl, Franz Anton, 1751–1803. “Karte der Magellanischen Strasse.” Copperplate, with added color, 50 × 67 cm. Probably issued in Schrämbl’s Allgemeiner grosse Atlas (Vienna, 1786–1800).

Reference: Martinic, Cartografía magallánica, VIII, 412. [Historic Maps Collection] An Austrian version of a map first printed in Madrid in 1769 by Don Juan de la Cruz Cano y Olmedilla (1734–1790) of the Royal Academy of St. Fernando, then enlarged and improved by Thomas Jefferys (d. 1771), geographer to King George III, and included by map and printsellers Robert Sayer and John Bennett as the last map in their influential American Atlas (London, 1776). The Madrid-London-Vienna route of the map reflects the interactive, snowballing nature of the European map trade of the period, where to borrow, embellish, and repackage was the norm. This map adds some topography (forests and mountains) and a number of illuminating notes about native populations and the landscape.

Examples (here, taken from the English edition): “Indian Hutts—These Indians are of a good size; they cross the Straits in Canoes made with the Bark of Trees.” “A Warlike Nation.” “A Deep Valley with Woods & fine Meadows.” “Indian Hutts—the Indians of this Cast Light fires when they see a ship.” “A Volcano Cover’d with Snow.” “A Great Mountain which is a Sea Mark.” “Channels and Openings according to the Modern Geographers.” These latter will prove to be only bays and inlets as maps of the region slowly and gradually improve over the years. Because of its geographical complexity, remoteness, and extreme weather conditions, Tierra del Fuego would not be adequately mapped until the mid-1800s. Strait of Magellan - New World Encyclopedia Strait of Magellan Map of the Strait of Magellan A true-color MODIS satellite image showing the the entire Strait. The Strait of Magellan (often referred to as the Straits of Magellan or the Magellan Strait) is a channel at the southern tip of South America linking the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean . This navigable sea route separates the mainland from Tierra del Fuego and other islands south of the continent .

Except for a few miles at its easternmost extremity in Argentina , it lies within Chilean territorial waters. The strait’s major port is Punta Arenas on the Brunswick Peninsula. The first European to navigate the strait was Ferdinand Magellan , a Portuguese maritime explorer sailing for Spain , who discovered the strait in 1520 during the first successful attempt at circumnavigating Earth . The strait is approximately 600 kilometers (370 mi) long, and ranges from 3 to 35 kilometers (1.9 to 22 mi) at its narrowest and widest points, respectively. An important natural passage between the oceans, it is considered a difficult route to navigate because of the inhospitable climate and the narrowness of the passage. The strait was an important sailing-ship route before 1914 and the completion of the Panama Canal , which shortened the Atlantic Pacific passage by several thousand miles. Though it follows a difficult and often foggy path among numerous islands and channels, it allows an inland passage protected from almost continuous ocean storms. It continues to be used by ships rounding South America from the Atlantic Ocean or the Pacific Ocean .

Sovereignty disputes between Argentina and Chile involving the waters and islands of the Strait nearly led to war in 1978, averted only by the intercession of Pope John Paul II . The subsequent Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1984 between Chile and Argentina resolved a number of important boundary issues and promoted economic relations and integration between the two nations. Contents The Strait of Magellan at dawn The Strait of Magellan at sunset The Strait of Magellan is approximately 600 kilometers (370 mi) long, and ranges from 3 to 35 kilometers (1.9 to 22 mi) at its narrowest and widest points, respectively. The northwestern portion of the strait is connected with other sheltered waterways via the Smyth Channel. This area is similar to those of the Inside Passage of Alaska . Southward from Cape Froward, the principal shipping route follows through the Magdalena Channel. It links the strait with the Beagle Channel.

The eastern opening is the wide bay on the border of Chile and Argentina between Punta Dúngeness on the mainland and Cabo del Espiritu Santo on Tierra del Fuego , the border defined in the Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1984 between Chile and Argentina. Immediately west are the narrows Primera Angostura and Segunda Angostura, which are formed by two different-aged terminal moraines. Here also lies Magdalena Island, which is part of Los Pingüinos Natural Monument, home of the largest penguin colonies of south Chile, including an estimated 60,000 breeding pairs of the Magellanic Penguin. [1] In this part of the strait, its southern boundary follows first the shoreline of the Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego, then follows the northern end of the Canal Whiteside and continues along the shoreline of Dawson Island. The western part of the strait stretches northwestward from the northern end of Magdalena Channel to the strait's Pacific entrance.

This portion of the strait is flanked on the south by Capitán Aracena Island, Clarence Island, Santa Inés Island, Desolación Island and other smaller islands, and on the north by Brunswick Peninsula, Riesco Island, Muñoz Gamero Peninsula and other minor islands. Here, two narrow channels that open into the strait connect with Seno Otway and Seno Skyring. The Francisco Coloane Coastal and Marine Protected Area, which protects Humpback Whales, is located in this area. This part of the strait lies on the elongated Magallanes-Fagnano Fault, which marks a plate boundary between the South American Plate and the Scotia Plate. This fault continues southward under the Almirantazgo Fjord and then low the Fagnano Lake. Features Shipwreck of the Santa Leonor in the Smyth Channel The Smyth Channel is a principal Patagonian channel. Its north entrance is in the Nelson Strait. Its south arm is the southward continuation of the Sarmiento Channel.

The southern terminus is at the point of alignment of the Phillip Cape in the southern extreme of Manuel Rodríguez Island with the mainland peninsula Merino, at which point it opens into the Strait of Magellan. The channel has a length of approximately 96 nautical miles (178 km/110 mi) and is divided into two arms. The 50 nautical miles (93 km/58 mi) long northwest arm, which is rarely used as navigation route. The south arm, at 46 nautical miles (85 km/53 mi) long, is a major waterway for commercial sailing that stretches from its connection with the Sarmiento Channel at southern tip of the Victoria Pass until the point where it joins the Strait of Magellan. The channel is flanked by mountain ranges of exposed granite that at their foothills have limited vegetation cover due to continuous strong winds.

In the northwest arm the hills are high, including the 890 meters (2,900 ft) Monte Nuestra Señora de la Victoria and the 890 meters (2,900 ft) Lecky Look Out on Contreras Island, and the 510 meters (1,700 ft) Monte Lucía on Diego de Almagro Island. In the vicinity of its south arm is the 1,495 meters (4,900 ft) Monte Burney, which lies on the mainland's Muñoz Gamero Peninsula. This imposing volcanic peak stands out from the mountains that surround it. Other mountains in the area include Monte Joy at 443 meters (1,450 ft) and the peaks Sainte Agnes and Sainte Anne with elevations of 323 meters (1,060 ft) and 513 meters (1,680 ft) high respectively, which stand on the Manuel Rodríguez Island. The Strait of Magellan The Magdalena Channel joins the Strait of Magellan with Cockburn Channel and is part of a major navigation route which ultimately connects with the Beagle Channel.

It separates Capitán Aracena Island from the westernmost portion of Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego, and crosses Alberto de Agostini National Park. It is flanked by mountains, the chief of which is the 2,246 meters (7,370 ft) Monte Sarmiento. Together with the Abra Channel and the Bárbara Channel, it join the westside of the Strait of Magellan directly with the Pacific Ocean . Punta Dúngeness is a headland at the eastern entrance of the Strait of Magellan on its north shore, opposite Cabo del Espiritu Santo in Tierra del Fuego . West of the Punta Dungeness lies the Bahia Posession. Punta Dungeness marks the border between Chile and Argentina , and according to the Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1984 between Chile and Argentina the line between Punta Dungeness and Cabo del Espiritu Santo marks the limits of each country's territorial waters. It is the southernmost point on the mainland of Argentina, and the easternmost point on the mainland of Chile. There is a lighthouse on the Chilean side.

Dawson Island is located southeast of Brunswick Peninsula and is an approximately 2,000 square kilometers (770 sq mi) tract of land that is often lashed with harsh Antarctic weather. In the late 1800s the island was used as a concentration camp for the Selknam and other native people. Following the 1973 military coup, it was used as a place to house political prisoners. About 30 important political figures involved in Salvador Allende's overthrown Popular Unity government were sent to Dawson Island following the coup, alongside some 200 prisoners from the local area. Infamous for its forced labor practices and conditions of squalor, it was shut down in 1974. [2] Riesco Island lies west of the Brunswick Peninsula. It has an area of 5,110 square kilometers (1,970 sq mi). Its highest point is Mount Atalaya at 1,830 meters (6,000 ft). The island is bordered by two large piedmont embayments: Otway Sound and Skyring Sound. A narrow channel connects both bodies of water and separates the island from the Patagonia mainland.

The island is separated from the southern part of the Muñoz Gamero Peninsula by another narrow channel. Glaciers occur on Riesco. In the north, an icefield is the source of seven glaciers, while there are 12 glaciers on the slopes of Cerro Ladrillero. In the southern portion of the island, Córdova Peninsula marks the eastern limit of the Strait of Magellan and is home to several mountain glaciers. Riesco Island hosts Chile's largest known coal reserves. It is believed to contain more than 300 million tonnes of low-quality coal in three deposits: Río Eduardo, Elena and Estancia Invierno. Seno Otway Magellanic Penguin Colony Seno Otway is a large inland sound lying between Brunswick Peninsula and Riesco Island. Alternatively called Otway Sound, this natural waterway occupies a valley blocked by a large terminal moraine left by the retreat of a glacier during the last glacial period. In spite of being located east of the Andes , it is connected to the open Pacific Ocean through the Strait of Magellan via a narrow passage which cuts into the Andean Massif.

Seno Otway also is hydrologically connected with Seno Skyring by the FitzRoy Channel. There are a variety of marine species within the Otway Sound, as well as along the coastal terrestrial and intertidal zones. Notably there is a moderately large colony of the Magellanic Penguin along the coast. [1] History Ferdinand Magellan, for whom the Strait is named Ferdinand Magellan , a Portuguese sailor in service to the Spanish King, became the first European to navigate the strait in 1520, during his global circumnavigation voyage. Because Magellan's ships entered it on November 1, All Saints' Day, it was originally named Estrecho de Todos los Santos (Strait of All Saints). Later the Spanish king changed the name to Estrecho de Magallanes in honor of Magellan. From the time of its discovery both the Spanish Empire and the Kingdom of Chile saw it as Chile's southern boundary. In 1577, Sir Francis Drake was commissioned by Queen Elizabeth to undertake an expedition against the Spanish along the Pacific coast of the Americas. He set sail from England on December 13, aboard the Pelican, with four other ships and 164 men.

After crossing the Atlantic , one of the ships turned back through the east coast of the Magellan Strait. Drake crossed from the Atlantic to the Pacific through the Strait. After this passage a storm blew his ship so far south that he realized Tierra del Fuego was not part of a southern continent, as was believed at that time. Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa explored the southern Pacific coast of South America in 1578-1579, including the Strait of Magellan. He returned to Spain in 1580 with impressive maps and reported the results of his expedition to King Philip II of Spain . Philip resolved to fortify the Strait, and in 1581 sent an expedition of 24 vessels with 2,500 men from Cadiz, under the command of Sarmiento de Gamboa and Diego Flores Valdez. After loss and abandonment, only four vessels arrived in January 1583. Sarmiento de Gamboa established a fort and colony garrisoned by 300 men which he called Rey Don Felipe on the strait's northern shores.

The settlement suffered severe food shortages, and when Thomas Cavendish visited the ruins in 1587 he renamed the place Port Famine. Phillip Parker King left Plymouth in May 1826 in command of the British survey vessel HMS Adventure , accompanied by the HMS Beagle which was commanded by Pringle Stokes. They established a base at Port Famine from which they spent four seasons surveying. The winters were spent in more hospitable climates on the continent. King thoroughly explored and charted the Strait, and presented the results at a meeting of the Royal Geographical Society in 1831. Punta Arenas Chile, the most prominent settlement on the Strait of Magellan Chile took possession of the channel on May 23, 1843. Chilean president Bulnes ordered the expedition after speaking with the Chilean libertador Bernardo O'Higgins who feared an occupation by Great Britain or France . The first Chilean settlement was Fuerte Bulnes situated in a forested zone on the north side of the Strait. Fuerte Bulnes was later abandoned and the city of Punta Arenas was founded in 1848 further north where the Magellanic forests met the Patagonian plains.

In front of Punta Arenas, on the other shore of the Strait in Tierra del Fuego the village of Porvenir emerged during a gold rush in the late 1800s. Until the Panama Canal was finished in 1914, the Strait of Magellan was the main route for steam ships traveling from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific ; it was often considered the only safe way to move between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Protected by Tierra del Fuego to the south and the bulk of South America to the north, ships crossed with relative ease, removed from the dangers of Drake Passage. Despite these natural defenses, sailing ships such as the clippers preferred Drake Passage as they had more room to maneuver. The Drake Passage is the relatively narrow stretch of ocean separating Cape Horn from Antarctica , the waters of which are notoriously turbulent, unpredictable, and frequented by icebergs and sea ice. Concerns International relations Argentina and Chile share the world's third-longest international border, which is 5,300 kilometers (3,300 mi) long and runs from north to the south along the Andes mountains.

During much of the nineteenth and the twentieth century, relations between the countries chilled due mainly to disputes over Patagonia . Conflict over the Beagle islands began in 1904 when Argentina defined as "disputed territory" islands that had been under Chilean control since an 1881 treaty. Trouble mounted in the 1960s, when Argentina began to lay claim to the Picton, Lennox and Nueva islands in the Beagle Channel. Both countries submitted their maritime boundary dispute to arbitration by an international tribunal in 1971. In 1977 the British Monarch awarded three disputed islands in the Beagle Channel to Chile. Argentina rejected the decision. [3] Attempts at direct negotiations between the two countries failed, and in December 1978 they prepared for war . This was averted when Pope John Paul II sent a personal message to both presidents urging a peaceful solution. They agreed to mediate the dispute through the offices of Cardinal Antonio Samoré, the special Papal envoy. The conflict was resolved through papal mediation and since 1984 Argentina recognizes the islands as Chilean territory.

The 1984 treaty also resolved other collateral issues of great importance, including navigation rights, sovereignty over other islands in the Fuegian Archipelago , delimitation of the Straits of Magellan, and maritime boundaries south to Cape Horn and beyond. Resolutions In recent years relations have improved dramatically, based upon the foundation laid by the Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1984 between Chile and Argentina. According to the dispute solution, the parties involved "reiterate their commitment to preserve, strengthen and develop their unchanging ties of perpetual friendship and to refrain from resorting directly or indirectly to any form of threat or use of force and from adopting any other measures which may disturb the peace in any sector of their mutual relations." They agree to "create a Conciliation Commission if necessary and, if it fails, create an Arbitration Tribunal. The decision of the tribunal shall be binding on the Parties, final and unappealable. Its implementation shall be entrusted to the honor of the nations signing the Treaty of Peace and Friendship." [4] The 1984 treaty reaffirmed the need to promote economic relations as the building blocks for a lasting peace.

Subsequent disputes over natural gas pipelines eventually led to political leaders in both nations to view economic integration as not only a means of promoting growth but also a way of consolidating democracy . [3] Notes Strait of Magellan | channel, South America | Britannica.com Strait of Magellan Alternative Title: Estrecho de Magallanes Similar Topics Bosporus Strait of Magellan, Spanish Estrecho de Magallanes, channel linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, between the mainland tip of South America and Tierra del Fuego island. Lying entirely within Chilean territorial waters, except for its easternmost extremity touched by Argentina , it is 350 miles (560 km) long and 2–20 miles (3–32 km) wide. It extends westward from the Atlantic between Cape Vírgenes and Cape Espíritu Santo , proceeds southwestward, and curves to the northwest at Froward Cape on the southern tip of Brunswick Peninsula to reach the Pacific Ocean after passing Cape Pillar on Desolación Island. The strait’s major port is Punta Arenas , on the Brunswick Peninsula; the port is a shipping point for Chilean mutton.

Satellite image of the Strait of Magellan, South America. Visible Earth—Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC Strait of Magellan. Overview of the Strait of Magellan. Contunico © ZDF Enterprises GmbH, Mainz The first European to navigate the strait was Ferdinand Magellan (October 21–November 28, 1520), a Portuguese sailing for Spain, whose expedition eventually completed the first circumnavigation of the world. Although the strait follows a somewhat tortuous course among numerous islands and channels and has a cold, foggy climate, it was an important sailing-ship route before the building of the Panama Canal (completed in 1914) shortened the Atlantic-Pacific passage by several thousand miles. Learn More in these related articles: Atlantic Ocean body of salt water covering approximately one-fifth of Earth’s surface and separating the continents of Europe and Africa to the east from those of North and South America to the west. The ocean’s name, derived from Greek mythology, means the “Sea of Atlas.” It is second... South America fourth largest of the world’s continents.

It is the southern portion of the landmass generally referred to as the New World, the Western Hemisphere, or simply the Americas. The continent is compact and roughly triangular in shape, being broad in the north and tapering to a point—Cape... More about Strait of Magellan 2 References found in Britannica Articles Assorted References Corrections? Updates? Help us improve this article! Contact our editors with your feedback. MEDIA FOR: You have successfully emailed this. Error when sending the email. Try again later. Edit Mode Submit Tips For Editing We welcome suggested improvements to any of our articles. You can make it easier for us to review and, hopefully, publish your contribution by keeping a few points in mind. Encyclopædia Britannica articles are written in a neutral objective tone for a general audience. You may find it helpful to search within the site to see how similar or related subjects are covered. Any text you add should be original, not copied from other sources. At the bottom of the article, feel free to list any sources that support your changes, so that we can fully understand their context. (Internet URLs are the best.) Your contribution may be further edited by our staff, and its publication is subject to our final approval.

Unfortunately, our editorial approach may not be able to accommodate all contributions. Submit Thank You for Your Contribution! Our editors will review what you've submitted, and if it meets our criteria, we'll add it to the article. Please note that our editors may make some formatting changes or correct spelling or grammatical errors, and may also contact you if any clarifications are needed. Uh Oh There was a problem with your submission. Please try again later. Close Article Title: Strait of Magellan Website Name: Encyclopædia Britannica Date Published: February 20, 2015 URL: Access Date: January 19, 2017 Share Strait of Magellan Map other bodies of water Positioned along the southern edges of the South American continent, this once-vital passageway is named for the Portuguese adventurer, Ferdinand Magellan, the first explorer to circumnavigate the globe. His chosen route around the continent in 1520 (shown with red arrows) though dangerous at times, proved to be the fastest and safest connection between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans for sea-going commerce and exploration.

Sheltered by mainland South America and the islands of the Tierra Del Fuego archipelago, this route was considered much safer than the Drake Passage, a more violent stretch of chaotic water between Antarctica and South America, one frequented by icebergs and plagued by gale-force winds. Located on the Strait of Magellan, Chile's Punta Arenas was once one of the most important supply stops for mariners of the day, until the Panama Canal opened in 1914. South America Cruises, South America Cruise, Cruise South America, South America Cruise Tour, South America Cruise Tours, South America Cruise Vacations, South America Cruise Vacation, Cruises to South America, Cruises Visiting South America Strait of Magellan For discounted South America cruises that visit Strait of Magellan, click The Strait of Magellan is one of the world’s most important natural waterways, linking the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. The strait passes below Chile and above Tierra del Fuego and Antarctica. The strait was named after the man that first navigated the waterway, Ferdinand Magellan, on his famous voyage as the first person to circumnavigate the entire globe.

Language: N/A Currency: N/A Tierra del Fuego | archipelago, South America | Britannica.com Tierra del Fuego Argentina Tierra del Fuego, archipelago, at the southern extremity of South America . In shape the main island , separated from the mainland by the Strait of Magellan , is a triangle with its base on Beagle Channel . The total area is 28,473 square miles (73,746 square km), about two-thirds of which is Chilean and one-third Argentine. The boundary, agreed upon in 1881, follows the meridian 68°36′38″ W, from Cabo (cape) Espíritu Santo on the Atlantic, and the east–west Beagle Channel. Lennox, Picton, Nueva, and several small islands at the mouth of the channel are disputed between the two republics. Sea lions near Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. Heretiq The physical features of Tierra del Fuego are varied.

Most of the northern portion of the main island , consisting of glacial topography , mainly lakes and moraines, is under 600 feet (180 metres) in height, and the Atlantic and Strait of Magellan coasts are low-lying. In contrast, the southern and western parts of the main island and the archipelago are a prolongation of the Andes, with peaks exceeding 7,000 feet, notably Monte Sarmiento (7,550 feet [2,300 metres]) and Monte Darwin (7,999 feet [2,438 metres]), and mountain glaciers. The climate of Tierra del Fuego is monotonously cool in summer and cold in winter, with great contrast in annual rainfall, from 180 inches (4,600 mm) at Bahía Félix on Isla Desolación, Chile , to 20 inches at Río Grande , Arg. In the exposed southern and western areas, vegetation is limited to mosses and stunted trees. The central part of the main island has deciduous beech forests, and the northern plains have a tussock grass cover.

The archipelago was discovered by the navigator Ferdinand Magellan in 1520, when he sailed through the strait named after him and called the region Tierra del Fuego (Land of Fire). Various navigators traversed the area, but no systematic exploration was attempted until the British Admiralty undertook a thorough survey of the entire archipelago between 1826 and 1836. For 350 years after Magellan’s voyage, the region was left in the undisputed occupation of its indigenous peoples, the Ona , Yahgan , and Alacaluf Indians, but after 1880 colonization by Chilean and Argentine nationals was sparked by the introduction of sheep farming and the discovery of gold. The discovery of petroleum at Manantiales in 1945 converted the northern part of Tierra del Fuego into Chile’s only oil field. Pipelines have been laid to the Strait of Magellan for export of the oil to middle Chile, drilling platforms have been built in the Strait of Magellan, and a small refinery meets local needs.

There is some lumbering in the forested areas of the Beagle Channel and the Strait of Magellan; fish and crayfish canning at Ushuaia , Arg., and Porvenir, Chile; and fur hunting for nutria and seal. A meat refrigeration plant is located at Río Grande, but most surplus sheep are processed on the mainland. Similar Topics Tierra del Fuego - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up) When the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan sailed around the tip of South America in 1520, he observed many fires built by Indians along the coast. He called the land Tierra del Fuego, or "land of fire." Today the name refers to the entire group of islands south of the Strait of Magellan. The total land area of these islands is 28,473 square miles (73,745 square kilometers). About two thirds of the island group belongs to Chile and the rest to Argentina. The population of the whole island group in the early 1990s was more than 65,000.

Article History Cape Horn & Strait of Magellan Cape Horn & Strait of Magellan Highlights Sail in the wake of the great explorers of old to the gateway of two Oceans: the Atlantic and the Pacific. Cruise through the Strait of Magellan, which separates Tierra del Fuego from South America, and round Cape Horn. Continue on to the Falkland Islands, the great South Atlantic archipelago. Cape Horn & Strait of Magellan itinerary: show reverse itinerary Day 1: Punta Arenas (Chile) Embarkation from 4:00pm to 5:00pm. Flight Santiago/Punta Arenas. Panoramic tour en route to the port for embarkation.

Day 2: Sailing Gabriel Canal (Chile) Day 3: Crossing Magellan Strait (Chile) Day 4: At sea Day 5: New Island / Grave Cove (Falklands Island) Day 6: Whalers bay / Saunders (Falklands) Day 7: Volunteer Point (Falklands) Day 8: Bleaker Island (Falklands) Day 9: At sea Day 10: Cap Horn (Chile) Day 11: Sailing up Beagle Strait (Chile, Argentina) Day 12: Ushuaia (Argentina) Disembarkation. Transfer to the airport. Flight Ushuaia/ Buenos-Aires International (Pistarini) Cape Horn & Strait of Magellan reverse itinerary: show main itinerary Disembarkation. Transfer to the airport.

Flight Ushuaia/ Buenos-Aires International (Pistarini) Day 11: Sailing up Beagle Strait (Chile, Argentina) * Day 10: Cap Horn (Chile) * Day 9: At sea * Day 8: Bleaker Island (Falklands) * Day 7: Volunteer Point (Falklands) * Day 6: Whalers bay / Saunders (Falklands) * Day 5: New Island / Grave Cove (Falklands Island) * Day 4: At sea * Day 3: Crossing Magellan Strait (Chile) * Day 2: Sailing Gabriel Canal (Chile) * Day 1: Punta Arenas (Chile) * Embarkation from 4:00pm to 5:00pm. Flight Santiago/Punta Arenas. Panoramic tour en route to the port for embarkation. * = Indicative Le Soleal Luxury Small Ship A sleek silhouette, a welcoming intimate atmosphere, and the same philosophy that has made L'Austral and Le Boreal such a success.

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Question: The strait of Magellan separates which island from South America?
Answer: TIERRA DEL FUEGO